Court dismisses motion to drop murder charges against Kano 'child bride' | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Wednesday 22 April 2015

Court dismisses motion to drop murder charges against Kano 'child bride'

A court in Kano yesterday rejected a motion to have murder charges against the child bride accused of killing her husband and three of his friends dismissed, saying there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.

Wasila Tasi'u was 14 when she married Umar Sani, 35, and killed him and three others with rat poison. She could face the death penalty if convicted of using rat poison to kill him.
"I am of the opinion that there is a case against the accused," High Court Judge Mohammed Yahaya said. "As such, I overrule the submission of no-case from the defence counsel."
Tasi'u's lawyers had argued that the state failed to establish her intent to kill Sani and questioned the reliability of a key prosecution witness.

The witness, a seven-year-old girl named Hamziyya who was identified as the sister of Sani's other wife, testified that Tasi'u gave her money to buy the poison on April 5 last year, the day Sani died.

The defence said that relying on testimony from a minor contravened Nigeria's Evidence Act and that the state's case should therefore be thrown out.

The families of both the deceased and the accused have rejected claims that she was forced to marry a man more than twice her age, noting that 14 was an appropriate age to marry and that Tasi'u chose Sani from a range of suitors.

Some locals have called for Tasi'u to face stiff punishment to discourage other girls from taking similar action if they become unhappy in their marriage.

But rights activists have demanded that Tasi'u be rehabilitated as a victim of a forced marriage, which likely included incidents of rape.

Tasi'u has remained largely stoic through her appearances in court so far, crying when charges were first read against her, but otherwise sitting silently, often with her head bowed.

On Tuesday she stood quietly in the dock, with her head fully covered in a sky-blue hijab. 

Source: AFP

68 comments:

Davido's driver said...

Eya poor her. Lindaobserve

Davido's driver said...

Lets see how it unfolds

AbokiDaWarriBoy said...

Awww poor little girl,thank God 4 her #SayNoToChildBride!

Flexy said...

thank God....

Flexy said...

thank God....

Unknown said...

>>>>>>>>>>>

I'm out ***CATCH ME IF U CAN***

Unknown said...

dis is dad

Unknown said...

Whaoooooooooooooooooooooooo tnk God ooooooooooooooooooooo.

Unknown said...

Heya.....i really pity d girl,14yrs is still a child,all dis hausa sef nawa o

Juleslouis said...

As long as this case is in d north, she stands no chance of bn acquitted cuz girls as young as 10 r also forced into marriage. So its equivalent to hearing that a 30yr old murdered her husband in d west or south or east. God help her.

Unknown said...

Parents should stop marrying off their little underaged girls.

Angie said...

I'm sure the Judge is one of 'em pervs..

Orevaoghene said...

The families should be held responsible for her actions.. 14 is too young for marriage

Anonymous said...

SUCH A DIFFERENCE,, 14 AND 35...SOME MEN NO DE GET SHAME AT AL...GUD FOR HIM DT HE PASSED ON, HS LYKS R DRE AND WIL FACE DIAS ONE DAY...TOMJERYSWIT

Eze said...

What is a 35 yr old doing with a kid......Jesus Christ, why are moslems this daft and wicked......i can't even imagine a 20yr old with my sister talk less of a 35yr old man.......the girl shld be awarded for her bravery and her parents shld be sentence to death by starving...,........... Hausa men can be wicked sha, how can u sleep with a 14 yr old....i can even imagine.....I don't blame them, i blmane there tradition and archaic religion

Eze said...

What is a 35 yr old doing with a kid......Jesus Christ, why are moslems this daft and wicked......i can't even imagine a 20yr old with my sister talk less of a 35yr old man.......the girl shld be awarded for her bravery and her parents shld be sentence to death by starving...,........... Hausa men can be wicked sha, how can u sleep with a 14 yr old....i can even imagine.....I don't blame them, i blmane there tradition and archaic religion

AbokiDaWarriBoy said...

*sad*

AbokiDaWarriBoy said...

Can't u pass ur message without mentioning tribe?? Asif na only hausa dey do child bride! Child bride ain't a good practice, motivational comments doesn't hurt!

AbokiDaWarriBoy said...

Can't u pass ur message without mentioning tribe?? Asif na only hausa dey do child bride! Child bride ain't a good practice, motivational comments doesn't hurt!

AbokiDaWarriBoy said...

Preach it.

ary said...

That is disappointing!

Unknown said...

God see us thru in areas of our various challenges.

Unknown said...

Consequences of child marriage.

Anonymous said...

Poor girl..

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Anonymous said...

Thank GOD for her child marriage should a thing of the past in this country but its so sad that some people still engage in it, wicked and heartless men.

Jojo said...

Pls for God's sake, this girl needs a rehab n not death sentence. Those old men must v done something sinister to her. The defence lawyer should even take her to the hospital for proper check up. I truly feel for her. May God rescue her.

Anonymous said...

U dis aboki dat is jst replyin pple's comment's cant u speak 4 urself? If u knw it is wrong speak up nd stop and stop attacking people..... Every one knws dat northeners are guilty of dis shit nw

Unknown said...

Na wa oooo....young marriage went bad

TAMARA SPLASH said...

They should drop d case jare. She was forced to marry so what do dey expect from d lil girl.

NaijaDeltaBabe said...

Exactly! Na rehab she need

Unknown said...

dats wat u get been forced to marry

Mzz_Mary said...

I feel sorry for her

Kodjo's Mum said...

WTF. How can you suggest death penalty for a child who was raped in my opinion. This is sickening. High Court Judge Mohammed Yahaya must be on 1st class cheap weed. Animal oshi. Oloriburuku somborri. Bloody animals.

Anonymous said...

It's not tribe it's just the world problem Islam...

Anonymous said...

Islam the world problem ..she would have even wiped out the fools faimly..nonsense man..

yourstrulyblogposts.blogspot.com said...

I don't blame the poor girl

Unknown said...

This is not fair, that should live her.
She's just a child.
I wonder how she cries when the husband sleeps with her.

Unknown said...

She shouldn't have killed him in the first place. No one will tie her down with the man she doesn't love and if that happens, there are many ways in addressing her plight than killing. Even if she is acquainted the stigma of in her family and the society will be unbearable, no man dear to ask her hand in marriage in the future. Here in the north most parents especially the poor, are eager to marry out their female children to any dick and harry,by denying them basic education and moral upbringing. We got to change this on our society.

Favour said...

Bump.

Unknown said...

Poor girl, Wat does girl of 14yrs knws abt marriage? A girl dat ws suppose 2 b in sch ws forced in2 marriage wt a man 2s r age, dats a stupid tradition. Dey shd pls free d girl n let r start r life all over again jare

Anonymous said...

This girl shouldn't be sentenced to death for goodness sake she is underaged. There's no telling what she's been put through. Rebilitation would be a better approach.

PRAYER said...

Islam = Cancer of the brain. Haba!!!
This case should be taken away from a man and given to a woman to judge. Where is that noise maker Oby Ezekwesili? She wont see this case now bah? Why she go see am? When e no go bring political appointment. Mshwwwww..... Pretenders all over the place.

Nicole said...

I don't understand your excitement . Is it that you want this girl to be sentenced for killing her statutory rapist / paedophile of a husband? Or is it that you didn't take your time to assimilate what this article is trying to infer?

Unknown said...

Eyah, all these people practicing underage marriage should better learn o

Calabar Gal said...

Thinking this is not right! She was under the age of consent when she got married. She should be tried in a Juvenile court....

Anonymous said...

Satan is clearly a perverter of all that is good and honorable... Thank God for Our Lord Jesus, Who has a clear Head despite satan, Islam & strange men...

PRAYER said...

Those saying thank God probably didn't go to school (like Aboki) or didn't take time to read and understand. All in a bid to comment first. As the saying goes, if you want to hide something from a Nigerian, hide it in a book. Sooooooooo True.

Muslimah Muhammad said...

Mr 'Anonymous' if you r bold enouf to insult other people's religion u mite as well be bold enuf to reveal your name. U mite as well wipe out all muslims from the surface of the earth if you can bloody idiot. Illiterates like you r d reason we can never have one Nigeria without ethnic or religious differences. i Have never seen a case where a muslim insulted christianity on this blog and that's because we respect our religion and disrespecting others' religion is as good as disrespecting ours but you obviously don't respect your own religion cuz you shud know that if you point a finger at someone, the remaining fingers point back at you. Mr Henry Eze go ask your grandma at what age she married cuz this practice is common in villages and amongst ppl with low level of Education and exposure but u guys always find a way to ridicule Islam. I grew up with christians and i have no hate whatsoever towards them.If it happened to a christian am sure none of you would blame it on the religion but on her parents who forced her so y can't you do it in this same case. Condemn wrong practices but you always have to mention religion. U think you are exposed come to the North and see exposure, you just sit there and think Northerners are illiterates. I pray for the day we won't have illiterates and egocentric idiots like you in Nigeria and it would be a better place for everyone both muslims and christians. We should respect each other's religion that's it.

Unknown said...

Poor girl, I pray a miracle happens in her case. Linda take note!

Muslimah Muhammad said...

Mr 'Anonymous' if you r bold enouf to insult other people's religion u mite as well be bold enuf to reveal your name. U mite as well wipe out all muslims from the surface of the earth if you can bloody idiot. Illiterates like you r d reason we can never have one Nigeria without ethnic or religious differences. i Have never seen a case where a muslim insulted christianity on this blog and that's because we respect our religion and disrespecting others' religion is as good as disrespecting ours but you obviously don't respect your own religion cuz you shud know that if you point a finger at someone, the remaining fingers point back at you. Mr Henry Eze go ask your grandma at what age she married cuz this practice is common in villages and amongst ppl with low level of Education and exposure but u guys always find a way to ridicule Islam. I grew up with christians and i have no hate whatsoever towards them.If it happened to a christian am sure none of you would blame it on the religion but on her parents who forced her so y can't you do it in this same case. Condemn wrong practices but you always have to mention religion. U think you are exposed come to the North and see exposure, you just sit there and think Northerners are illiterates. I pray for the day we won't have illiterates and egocentric idiots like you in Nigeria and it would be a better place for everyone both muslims and christians. We should respect each other's religion that's it.

Subomi said...

this is hard to comment on, I don't like the idea of giving out a 14 year old to marry anybody but then she killed 4 people, that should count for something

Muslimah Muhammad said...

Linda you better publish it because you support and publish the insult against Islam from your people and you very well know that no one condemns christianity on your blog but you allow all kinds of unkind comments. If you dont like Islam that much you should stop putting up anything that concerns us so that your people would let us rest biko. Publish only news that concerns you guys so that your ppl would publish nice comments and stop insulting us.

Emmynado said...

For me the girl did wht she av to do...... No regrets whtsoeva!.... It ws rape case nt marriage!

Unknown said...

Political suicide if she's convicted under GMB
His 9yr old wife

Anonymous said...

U northern men, wht did u guys see in under aged girls. Are there no fully grown ladies in ur place? When u marry a child, don't be surprised if she exhibits extreme childish tendencies

Anonymous said...

Now this is the issue I expected the incoming first lady to address first instead of going to Edo to speak to them about prostitution. The northern region where she comes from has more issues than any other region in Nigeria. Child marriage is one of them. I guess she can't speak against it cos she was also a victim considering the age difference between her n GMB. Bunch of hypocrites...... sighs#

Unknown said...

They don't want her freed because they want to keep marrying children and then again they're scared their underage wives will start killing their wicked asses. -----C21

Anonymous said...

very annoying story, the Northerners should wake up and stop this ancient and babaric activities of underage child marriage, she's a minor (under 18) and should not be married in the 1st place

Unknown said...

Bad

Anonymous said...

Dawood Ahmad, April 22, 2015 at 10:10 AM - IF anybody should be on trial, it should the the girl's parents- why give out a teenager out for marriage? Particularly to one who already has a wife? Clearly the girl was not happy and the only way out for her was to kill the husband- I am not saying she did the right thing but you should at least understand why she did it. Who knows, maybe he was also raping her as well

Anonymous said...

What will you do as a Judge...

Anonymous said...

I think...Insteadof kidnapping,...tThis should be lucrative business...In the sense that little child brides should rat poison their by force husbands.as in rrat poison should be big sell in the north..hungry paedophile can ask a little girls hand in marriage...parents should give her out,but make sure she has learnt the rat poisoning skills...you can imagine how the little boys same age as the little girls feel???their age mates are being given out...who will they toast?...na wa..rat poison all the way..mehn..no dulling

Innocentia Annie said...

Poor Innocent Child

Anonymous said...

Mallam Change. Abi? Why on earth is a 14 year old not being tried in a juvenile court.

Anonymous said...

All you illiterates that are shouting northerners. we have seen alot of cases in Nigeria where full grown men like you rape 3 year olds so who are we kidding. i guess this is just an avenue for you people to vent out your frustration on the northerners. We all know that this practice was wrong but why do you keep mentioning religion, we should condemn the parents of the girl and obviously i don't blame the girl cuz i might do the same if it were to be me but i guess there is more in ur minds than just this incidence bcz if it were to be a christian man that raped an under-aged girl now you ppl would only condemn the man and not his religion so pls behave like civilized and educated people and stop this barbarism of disrespecting other people's religion!!!

Unknown said...

Dis is where I expect Oby Ezekwesiri to be active only only where she can get food ie thru political appointment. Ndi ara

Unknown said...

I feel for her. She was forced into marriage and the only way out was through murder. I just pray she escapes death penalty.



#TeamBlessed#

rubbypearl said...

@ henry eze u re all dt is wrong with our country,,,imagine u already pointing fingers n using foul words on a particular religion n tribe...4 wat na? dey say we d futures of tomorrow but people like are bringing us back....unto u is ur religion unto me is my religion/\ please watch wat YOU say...dt aiint ryt(in d voice of chris rock)

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